Sixty small drug manufacturers have joined a government initiative aimed at modernizing their facilities to comply with global good manufacturing practices (GMP).
The move comes after several incidents where India manufactured medicines were found to be toxic in areas such as North America, Africa, and Central Asia, resulting in fatalities and raising serious concerns about the safety of Indian pharmaceutical exports.
Throughout 2023, numerous countries reported that cold medications and syrups exported from India were contaminated with toxic chemicals. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued several alerts during the year, warning that Indian medicines contained diethylene glycol (DEG) or ethylene glycol (EG) in concentrations exceeding the recommended safe limit of 0.10 percent.
The government launched investigations into the implicated firms and initiated various programs to bring Indian pharmaceuticals up to global standards. One such program, the revamped Pharmaceuticals Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme (RPTUAS), was announced by the ministry of cheicals and fertilizers in March.
The scheme is designed to support the modernization of existing pharmaceutical units as part of broader efforts to comply with updated standards mandated by the drugs and cosmetics act, which align with World Health Organization (WHO) recommended GMP.
Of the sixty firms that have enrolled in the scheme, more than thirty have already begun upgrading their facilities. As reported by business-standard.com, the government is actively encouraging more micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to join the program, emphasizing the financial incentives available to help them enhance their manufacturing standards.
